Portable picnic cabinet



Aug. 29, J wooDs PORTABLE PICNIC CABINET Filed March 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet; 1

I V 1a g "I 2 "in A; 7/ 7 if? Inventor Fig. 2 W Wm Attorney 1933- J. H. wooos 1,924,430

PORTABLE PICN I C CABINET Filed March 1, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 Wpn enor Patented Aug. 29, 1933 UNITED:- STATES;

1,924,430 PORTABLE- riomc CABINET 1 James'HLWoodS, San Eernando,.-Calif..l Application March 1932. Serial M595 9:

-s Claims (01. 190- 12)- sectiomthe lwerweb 13 of which is spaced fron -v This invention relates to and has for an object the provision of an improved type of portable pic nio cabinet adapted to be detachably supported on the running board of an automobile and provided with the sides which are capable of. being removed from the cabinet and operatively supported thereon for forming a table, together with I have shown a preferred form of device in the.

accompanying drawings, in which 0' Fig. l is a perspective view of my assembled... cabinet detachablyvmounted on the runningiboard of a vehicle.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

i 1 Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional plan on linev 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig.4 is a perspective view of the table with the cover removedand the sides detachedfand operatively supported on the top of the cabinet for forming a table.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary bottom plan of the'c'abe inet showing thelegs and braces therefor folded compactly on the bottom of the cabinetwhereby the same may be held on the running board of a F vehicle.

The cabinet is provided with a flat bottom 1,

a, fiat top 2, and parallel ends 3 and 4 suitably secured together and preferably formed of light but strong and durable wood. A pair or more horizontal partitions 5 and 6 are provided be.-

tween the bottom 1 and top 2, as shown in Fig. 2, which may extend either entirely or partially across the cabinet from end to end, depending upon the size, character and number of compa rtments desired within the body of the cabinet.

As shown in Fig. 4, vertical partitions 7, 8 and 9 are provided at diversely spaced points between the ends 3 and 4 and the partitions 5 and 6 may extend, as shown in Fig. 4, only between the vertical partitions 8 and 9. Other similar partitions, as at 10 and 11, may extend between the end 4 and partition 9 and the partitions '7 and 8 respectively.

The bottom of the cabinet is provided with an encompassing member 12 of right angular cross the bottom 1 by meansof longitudinal cleats 14,. 14 at the front andback. .Said-cleats extend out- 2:" wardly from the frontand back of the cabinet so as to space-.the vertical websl5 of the memberl2 '60 from the front side 16 and the rear-side l7. Simi v larlythe web oimember 1 2 is spaced from .the

ends 3 and 4. Thus a rectangular metal housing 1'7 which-is open at the bottom. and, is provided. with top, side and end. portions isadaptedto come, i

pletelyenclose :the 1 cabinet when a the lower.edge;,.- thereof; is seated in theispacewbetween the weba 15 of member 12, and the cover in such caserests uponthegcleats 14.

Metal corner members 18,18 etc., of right ahagular crosswsec'tion are provided at each of the corners of the cabinetand are attached to the ends 3 and 4 as shown in Fig. 3 by suitable means Thefront and rearwebs 19 of the-members 18 are spaced, howeverg from the edgesfof the end s '3 and 4 so as, topliovide. seatsfor the ends of de-w tachable front and rear sidemembersflO vand 21.

'Thexhottogn .1: projects outwardly from the side; I edges-of the ends 3, and, 4so that the members 20 and 21. will rest upon the-bottomv when said-$ members are positioned on1thecabinetHand-said members when sopositioned extend slightly above thetop 2, asshownin Fig.2. 1 w

The ends 3'and4. are'provided' at the top with 1 metalmembersZZ of right angularicross section, .3. the vertical webs-23 oi which are attached to the a ends 3 and ,4 and the horizontal webs 24 of which :ai'espaced ifroiniandfoverlie the top 2. i

, Whenthecoven-lf? removed from the cabinetthe sides ,20 an'd 21 maybe detached by slid-i ing the same upwardly and thereafter said members may be positioned as shown' in' Fig. 4, in which position they are held betweenthe top 2 and the overlying guidesv24, 24. When and if desirable, only. one of the members 20 or 21 may be thus supported .on the cabinet therebyv providing a narrow table, or both sides may be sup-- ported as shown for providing a wider table.

The compartments formed within the cabinet between the several horizontal and vertical partitions-may be provided with metal drawers, asat 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29, etc., of various sizes for various purposes. Any or. all of said drawers may be subdivided into smaller compartments, as may be desired,the form, size and arrangement of the '5" compartments being immaterial to my invention.

The cover 17' is provided with lifting devices 30 at the ends, whereby the cover may be removed from the cabinet, and with latches as at 31 also mounted on the ends for detachably securing the ATENT?'orriicegi j cover to the bottom of the cabinet. The cover is especially desirable for enclosing the cabinet and its contents against the atmosphere and the elements when it is being transported from place to place on the running board 32 of a vehicle.

A pair of legs 33, 33 are provided on the bottom 1 at each end of the cabinet, which are transversely braced by bars 34 and are diagonally braced by toggle brace members 35 and 36 pivoted respectively to the bottom 1 and the legs 33, as shown in Fig. 4. The legs arealso pivoted at their upper ends to the bottom 1 ofthe cabinet. Thus the legs may be folded upwardly into snug contact with the bottom 1 andwithin the member 12, as shown in Fig. 2.

To the legs or to the bottom 1 suitable clamps 37' may be attached for frictionally securing the v cabinet to the running board 32 of a vehicle. Said clamps include screws 38 which are held in the ends of the clamps and frictionally engage the lower side of the running board, as shown in Fig. 3. The clamps are preferablyarranged so that they may be extended as shown in Fig. 2 for attaching the cabinet to the running board of a vehicle, or they may be folded with and within the plane of the legs 33 so that the cabinet may rest upon the ground or other supporting surface firmly before the legs are extended.

As shown'in Fig. 5, the legs 33 are pivotally attached at 39 to lugs 40 formed on and depending from bars 41 which are secured to the bottom 1 of the cabinet. Similarly the upper members 35 of the toggle braces are pivoted at their upper ends to lugs 42 which are formed on and depend from the transverse bar 43 secured to the bottom of the cabinet. The clamping member 37 is.

and 21 may be detached and supported on the top'of the cabinet for forming a table without removing the cabinet from the vehicle. K The assembled outfit is of light weight and conveniently arranged to carry allof the neces-; sary equipment for picnic and camping expeditions and parties, etc., and is weatherproof whe the cover 17 is clamped thereon.

The advantages of the structure and arrangement of parts herein shown and described will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art,

and it is obvious that I may modify thestructure and arrangement thereof within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

What I claim is:

1. A picnic cabinet comprising spaced bottom and top portions and end portions connecting the same, guides secured to and spaced outwardly from the front and rear edges of said ends,. and front and rear side members slidably and detachably held in the spaces between said guides and said ends forming closures for the cabinet, and means at the top of the cabinet for slidably supporting said detachable sides when the cabinet is opened to form a table.

2. A picnic cabinet as characterized in claim 1, including a base member surrounding the bottom of the cabinet and spaced therefrom providing a recess between the base member and the bottom entirely around the cabinet, and a cover detach rear members detachably and slidably supported in the spaces between said guides and said end members and adapted to be supported on the extended portions of the bottom.

4. A picnic cabinet as characterized in claim 3, including a basesecured to the bottom and spaced therefrom entirely around the cabinet providing a channel externally of the cabinet, and a cover enclosing said cabinet and having its lower edge seated in said channel.

5. A picnic cabinet as characterized in claim 3,,

including guides attached to the extremities of said ends and overlying said top providing ways for slidably supporting said'front and rear members horizontally on the top of said cabinet to form a table. I

6. A .picnic cabinet'comprising spaced bottom and top portions, end members connecting the same, side members detachably supported on' said end members for closing the front and rear sides of said cabinet, and guides supported on the end members and overlying, the top of the cabinet for slidably supporting said side members to provide a table when the cabinet is open.

JAMES H. WOODS. 

